From the Rolls-Royce experimental archive: a quarter of a million communications from Rolls-Royce, 1906 to 1960's. Documents from the Sir Henry Royce Memorial Foundation (SHRMF).
Mr. Royce's strict weight limits for the Goshawk car, covering the chassis, body, passengers, and springs.
| Identifier | WestWitteringFiles\I\October1922\ Scan47 | |
| Date | 17th October 1922 | |
| Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} TO BY.{R.W. Bailey - Chief Engineer} FROM DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV.{Ivan Evernden - coachwork} c. to R.{Sir Henry Royce} G.{Mr Griffiths - Chief Accountant / Mr Gnapp} Hs.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} Sp.{Mr Spinney} c. to LHS.{Lord Herbert Scott} for Sp.{Mr Spinney} & HO. RECEIVED OCT 17 1922 R DA{Bernard Day - Chassis Design}/EV{Ivan Evernden - coachwork}4/MS.10.22. X4261 X4538 RE. GOSHAWK CAR WEIGHTS AND SPRINGS. Mr. Royce is very anxious that we should not overtax the chassis with huge bodies and heavy weights. He has fixed the maximum car weight as 4250 lbs, of which not more than 1650 lbs must fall on the front wheels. The weight of the body shall not exceed 1000 lbs (approximately 9 cwt) and the weight of passengers and luggage shall not exceed 900 lbs. We think that in large heavy bodies such as chauffeur driven cabriolets, only one extra seat should be fitted, to prevent overloading. We think we should speak of 4 seater bodies with 2 emergency seats, and not 6 seaters. The spares we have estimated to weigh 149 lbs. Will HS.{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair} &. EP.{G. Eric Platford - Chief Quality Engineer} please give us the weight of the R-R tools and spares and endeavour to get them down in weight to within 16 lbs. The disposition of the body and passenger weights have been arrived at by analysis of the known weights given in Hs{Lord Ernest Hives - Chair}7/LG14622, and should be worked to to commence with, when springing cars. On sheet (4) we give what we think to be the necessary range of springs to have in hand at the Works, to cope with all the allowable car weights. By having no rear spring above 925 lbs we shall make it impossible for a car weighing more than 4250 lbs, to get on the road. Will Derby please instruct only these springs? The performance of Goshawk depends entirely on it's weight. We must keep this within the maximum fixed by R.{Sir Henry Royce} if (1) | ||